Hors D'oeuvres Format

The New Amsterdam Exterior Portable Dining Society (NAEPDS) often recommends a food protocol for certain events and occasions known as Hors D'oeuvres Format, sometimes abbreviated as Like Hors.

GUIDELINES

Presentation is Paramount

It matters less that your fare is delicious than that it is beautiful. And anyway, at the NAEPDS we have discovered that any food tastes better when it looks pretty. Also, our research indicates that food is more likely to be eaten if is presented, rather than just present. If you bring a bag of baby carrots and leave it unopened in a pile, you will probably be taking home 9/10 of a bag of carrots with a small hole torn in it. Or worse: throwing it away. Open the bag, put them on a plate, Somebody will eat them if only because it's easy.

Make It Bite-Sized

Hors d'oeuvres can be practically any food, prepared into units that can be eaten in 1 bite. Generally this will be not more than 1-inch cubed (2.5 cm). Large portions are much less likely to be tried--they are perhaps too much of a commitment or guilty indulgence; and they too often go to waste.

Make It Finger-Friendly

We advise items that either inherently, or can be prepared and presented in such a way that utensils are not needed. For parsimony! Because if, say, you bring soup, you must also bring soup spoons enough for everyone who might want to just taste the soup, bowls to serve in, and probably a whole lot of napkins for the mess that somebody with two left hands is bound to make. Also if you bring mostly things that won't grease-up fingers and smear on clothes, we'll love you forever.

6±2 is the Magic Number

When bringing something to share, the NAEPDS recommends a quantity enough for around 6 people. We caution against trying to cater to the entire group; you will invariably end up with too much left over, which will then

be your responsibility to clean up/pack out. Typically at an NAEPDS occasion, you are not feeding people, you are only amusing their bouches; nobody comes to such events because they need a square meal.

Ze Feuer Fellowes' Follies - Primer

Ze Feuer Fellowes' Follies is a series of thematic satirical contests and exhibitions--very similar in concept to the Chap Olympiad in the UK. They may be thought of as games that evoke the Jazz- and Guilded Ages, as interpreted by Monty Python, and curated by fanboys of the late great Alan Z. Feuer. They consist variously of satirical or whimsical open challenges, exhibitions, and activities framed as sporting events, for participants dressed and/or acting fancifully.

Typically the Follies are conducted at (or adjunct to) the Jazz-Age Lawn Party of New York City, held on Governor's Island over 2 weekends each summer, but may occur independently if the opportunity arises.

Many of the contests are ongoing throughout the day. They are designed so that they can be conducted independently and disparately, and will be evaluated from their resulting social media trace. I.e. competitors can do their thing on their own time, even their own place, then post photos (or photos will be posted on their behalf.) The (self-selected) judges will then determine "winners" based on the criteria chosen in committee. Competitions can also be conducted head-to-head in the fray if they so happen.

EVENTS:

• Dressage. An exhibition of sartorial superbness (or caricature)
• NAEPDS Ballerball. A competition of picnicking prowess
• The Hef / Marilyn. A demonstration of social gregariousness
• The Pick-Up Line. A challenge of strength, endurance, and virility
• Fellowes' Fauxlo: The sport of kings... for peasants
• Betting on the Phonies: (In development)

Explanation of Ze Feuer Fellowes: http://saomsdangledthreads.blogspot.com/2012/07/ze-feuer-fellowes-primer.html

New Amsterdam Exterior Portable Dining Society - Primer

The New Amsterdam Exterior Portable Dining Society (NAEPDS) is a meta-organization of picnicking enthusiasts based in and around the New York metropolitan area, and as such exists wherever people invoke its name and enact its principles and protocols. Candidly it is just a pompous-sounding name for an unspecific loose affiliation of fans of outdoor social events involving BYO food, that purports to lend an aire of refinement and significance to these activities.

Functionally the NAEPDS, with its mandate, collective knowledge base, and techniques, provides a framework for an ad-hoc assemblage of contributors, where there is no formal authority, to produce a better-than-average picnic. Recognizing that people have differing quotients of expertise, time, and resources per instance, NAEPDS protocol offers a framework for the distribution of effort in supplying the consumables.

There are 3 broad roles which participants will, for the most part, fall into automatically:

Feature.
These are people who can and will make and bring something that could be thought of as a main dish, or basis, or killer app. that will be shared by the entire group. Deviled eggs, chicken salad sandwiches, homemade cupcakes, St. Germaine cocktails, strawberry daiquiris, etc. They are usually homemade, on-site-assembled items that have been developed and vetted over many occasions of exterior portable dining. These contributors should broadcast their plans to the group so that others can plan around them. Perhaps by posting to whatever medium is used for coordination (e.g. the FB event wall or e-mail chain.)

Utility. 
These are people who will provide something that is necessary for any picnic, so that people bringing Feature items don't have to (as well.) E.g. Ice, plates, cups, flatware, napkins, paper towels, blankets, water/juice/soda, also in some cases, where necessary, the staking of territory. This role is usually assigned to people who either can not put in the time/expertise to make something, or attend at the last minute, or are uniquely suited to the particular contribution (e.g. can get to a limited-space first-come-first-serve event early.)

Ancillary. 
These are people who will make and bring something that compliments or supports one or more of the Feature items. e.g. Alcohol for cocktails, fruit, crudites, bread, crackers, spreads, and anything specifically requested. In general these are generic, versatile items that the event can survive without if one or two don't make it.

For Utility and Ancillary items a technique has been developed to aide in the optimization of provision, known as Coordinated Crowdsource Protocol (CCP).

Coordinated Crowdsource Protocol

CCP is a  way to supply group events that distributes the burden of buying and bringing the supplies, and centralizes the planning. It can be thought of as similar to the Pot-Luck Protocol, except with more direction and administration.

M.O.:
1. Coordinator(s) create a master list of suggested and preferred supplies.

2. Coordinator(s) share the list with participants.
Ideally this will be via some convenient interactive system such as social media.

3. Participants volunteer to bring items.
A process known as "calling." Called items can be either from the list or write-ins.
This allows people to bring items that are easy for them or that they already have.

4. Coordinator(s) assign remaining items as needed.
Assignments can be given to late-committers who want to know what to bring.